The water mist merged with the dense fog created by the Kirigakure shinobi, reducing visibility even further.
Yet, none of the Kirigakure shinobi could see any trace of Fugaku.
Not even a corpse.
"Where is he?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Hiding in the mist before the very eyes of Kirigakure shinobi was nothing short of provocation.
Manipulating mist was their specialty, their signature move.
How could they allow someone else to use it against them?
Infuriated, they began searching rapidly for Uchiha Fugaku.
Soon enough, they locked onto Fugaku.
"Over here."
At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku appeared before Uchiha Shin. As their Sharingan locked eyes, both immediately recognized one another.
The next moment, standing back-to-back, they scanned the surrounding fog.
Fugaku had used the opportunity to locate Shin, and now they had regrouped.
"Did you see Yashiro?"
Fugaku asked in a low voice.
His appearance was somewhat disheveled, his clothing torn in multiple places, and there was even blood staining his shoulder.
That last exchange hadn't been easy to withstand.
Uchiha Shin wasn't much better off, bearing numerous wounds.
"No, I haven't seen him," Shin shook his head.
Fugaku's heart sank slightly. Against this many Kirigakure shinobi, he wasn't confident in Yashiro's abilities.
Shin continued with a warning.
"Our opponent is Corpse Ghost, one of the Three Ghosts of the Kirigakure assassination squad."
For now, they needed to focus on breaking through.
Fugaku nodded.
He had already deduced as much upon killing that woman, who was known as the Lust Ghost.
That meant the last of the Three Ghosts, the White Ghost, was likely facing off against Yashiro.
From the dense mist, several figures suddenly emerged without hesitation.
Both Fugaku and Shin swung their blades simultaneously, decapitating the attackers.
Although this seemed easier than before, Fugaku's face showed no sign of relief.
The headless bodies continued their fierce assault, as if the heads were nothing but mere ornaments.
In the mist, a hidden man, the Corpse Ghost of the assassination squad, maintained a seal with both hands.
"Corpse Technique! Water Mist Corpse Manipulation!"
The water mist permeating the air was his medium for controlling the bodies.
As for where the bodies came from...
Corpse Ghost retreated, passing by a Kirigakure shinobi who had been lying in wait for an opportunity to strike.
Upon seeing Corpse Ghost, the shinobi's face turned from anticipation to horror.
"No!"
A kunai pierced his throat.
The fallen Kirigakure shinobi wobbled for a moment before standing up, moving swiftly to attack Fugaku and Shin.
At that moment, things were far from easy for Fugaku and Shin.
These reanimated Kirigakure shinobi, though limited to taijutsu, were now stronger and more relentless.
Both Fugaku and Shin threw their shuriken simultaneously.
The shuriken, instead of hitting anyone, circled around the reanimated bodies, colliding with each other and wrapping around, hovering midair.
Upon closer inspection, two almost invisible strings could be seen attached.
"Fire Style! Fire Dragon Technique!"
Both of them exhaled fire, and the fierce flames traveled along the strings, roaring like a flying dragon.
The fire ignited the reanimated bodies.
But the result left both of them grim-faced.
Even while burning, the corpses continued their desperate assault.
Faced with these burning bodies, Fugaku and Shin could only retreat repeatedly.
"We need to kill the caster first."
Shin's Sharingan scanned the mist rapidly, but the Hidden Mist Technique was a hallmark of Kirigakure, beyond the abilities of the Sharingan to pierce.
The heavy moisture in the mist gradually extinguished the flames engulfing the bodies.
Fugaku slashed through two of the attacking reanimated corpses, severing their limbs.
At the same time, Corpse Ghost, hidden in the shadows, quickly formed seals.
"Corpse Technique! Exploding Corpses!"
"Boom!!"
The fallen corpses suddenly exploded.
Though the explosion wasn't powerful, the blood splattered onto Fugaku.
He wiped the blood from his face, noticing the purple liquid on his hand quickly evaporating.
"Poison!!"
In the next instant, the poison took effect, and Fugaku's vision blurred as he fell to one knee.
Like sharks smelling blood, all the Kirigakure shinobi lunged at him.
Shin's eyes widened, his body immediately positioning itself in front of Fugaku, his blade working tirelessly to block the onslaught.
But Shin's strength was not on par with Fugaku's, and he could only barely hold on, suffering cuts and wounds in the process.
"Quick, drink the antidote!"
Shin urgently reminded him.
Fugaku pulled out the antidote from his pouch and was about to drink it.
Suddenly, Corpse Ghost appeared beside Fugaku.
His hands wreathed in mist.
"Mist Technique! Human Manipulation Technique!"
The mist, infused with chakra, turned into invisible hands that held Fugaku in place, rendering him immobile.
His vision was darkening.
He couldn't move.
At that moment, he found himself in a perilous situation.
Corpse Ghost raised a kunai, aiming for Fugaku's head.
In that moment, Fugaku had no way to resist.
His life flashed before his eyes like a fleeting montage.
His childhood, bearing heavy responsibilities and growing up loved by the clan.
Once, he had aspired to become Hokage.
Eighteen years of life, smooth sailing.
And yet, it seemed to end here.
Perhaps this was fate.
What would become of the Uchiha under Uchiha Jin's leadership?
Could someone with so little affection for the village truly lead the clan to glory?
Or, as Elder Hakan had said, would Uchiha head toward destruction?
Sadly...
He... no longer had the chance to know.
Fugaku closed his eyes.
A shinobi's battle is decided in an instant.
"Splat."
Blood splattered.
But the expected pain didn't come.
Instead, he felt something wet on his face.
Fugaku opened his eyes in confusion.
In front of him, Uchiha Shin stood, facing away from him, his chest pierced, blood spraying onto Fugaku's face.
Fugaku stared at his friend, his lips moved, trembling as he spoke after a long pause: "Shin!"
"The antidote... drink it!!" Shin roared, with his last breath pulling out all the explosive tags from his tool pouch.
He lunged at Corpse Ghost.
"Boom!!"
A powerful explosion erupted, erasing Shin's last hope of survival.
But Shikigami's body merely turned into water and dispersed.
Shin's final effort had been in vain.
Bloodshot lines quickly spread through Fugaku's sclera, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning furiously.
He took the antidote and stood up.
Silhouettes shifted within the mist.
Corpse Ghost's voice came slowly.
"It seems you hold a high status among the Uchiha, having even a willing sacrifice by your side."
"But your struggles only add to your suffering."
"Using his body against you would have been effective, but alas, he blew himself up."
Corpse Ghost tried to drive Fugaku into a rage.
But Fugaku only closed his eyes.
At that moment, the other Kirigakure shinobi did not hesitate, rushing toward him.
In the next instant.
Fugaku opened his eyes.
The three tomoe in his eyes linked together, forming a pattern like a pinwheel.
"All of you shall die!!!"
Uchiha Fugaku, ten years ahead of his time.
Mangekyo Sharingan.
Awakened!